RP hospitals improve disaster preparedness

KOBE, JAPAN – The capabilities of eight hospitals in the Philippines are being boosted as part of the government’s disaster preparedness effort.

In an interview with The STAR here, Dr. Myrna Rivera of the Tondo Medical Center said the Department of Health has been encouraging public and private hospitals to strengthen their facilities as well as their manpower to be able to function in case of extreme emergency situations.

“We have been continuing our initiatives to ensure our hospitals are safe in case of extreme emergencies,” said Rivera. “Hospitals should remain functional during extreme emergency situations. The building, personnel, the entire facility should be able to provide medical treatment.”

Rivera is here attending disaster management training for government employees of different countries initiated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

An independent governmental agency, JICA’s core programs provide technical assistance for capacity and institutional development, feasibility studies and master plans.

Other than providing training for government employees of different countries, JICA also initiated a 10-day Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Training for media from all over the globe, including the Philippines.

Rivera said the DOH tapped eight hospitals – four private, three public and one tertiary – to be part of the Health Emergency Coordination in case of disaster. Three of the hospitals were Philippine Heart Center, Quirino Medical Center and Valenzuela Medical Center.

Rivera noted that they are assessing the structure of the various facilities to possibly finance improvements to get them ready for any emergency.

Chief Inspector Ran-dolph Bides of the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection said he admires Japan’s effort in preparing its people and country for disasters like earthquake, flood and landslides.

Bides said Japan has established a specific department to study and come up with measures on disaster preparedness.

He observed that each room at the JICA headquarters has helmets and flashlights, which the occupants could use during emergencies.